McDonald's (MCD) rarely changes its menu.
The fast-food chain was built on the idea of offering the same experience, whether you dine in Chicago or Orlando. That has now grown into a global experience, making it somewhat difficult for the company to make major additions.
Of course, McDonald's has limited-time offerings (LTO) and special menu items, but it has not followed the "try lots of wacky things strategy" that Yum! Brands (YUM) has used to make Taco Bell, KFC, and even Pizza Hut stand out.
McDonald's has by comparison been pretty careful about protecting its core experience. It wants its fries to be the same everywhere, which is a fairly large task given its scale. The chain, however, does have some recurring favorites it brings back selectively to huge customer interest.
That includes its recent release of Szechuan Sauce, a condiment so popular it gets sold on eBay (EBAY), as well as regional offerings like McLobster, which some years gets a limited release in New England. And, of course, McDonald's has the ultimate LTO, the McRib, a sandwich so loved that websites exist just to track where it's being offered.
Now, the chain has returned another fan favorite to its menu and Wendy's WEN should take notice.
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McDonald's Gets Spicy
Since its introduction in the early 1980s, Chicken McNuggets have been a menu staple. McDonald's has largely taken an "if it's not broken, don't fix it approach" to its handheld chicken bites, but did release a spicy version in 2020. It was a short-term release, while rivals Wendy's and KFC have made spicy chicken a core menu offering.
Wendy's in particular has promoted its "Spicy Nuggs," offering a clear challenge to McDonald's.
Now, the originator of the fast-food chicken nugget (at least on a national level) has brought the beloved Spicy McNuggets back on a limited basis in select locations. The company described the McNugget variant in a January 2021 press release.
"Spicy Chicken McNuggets: Breaded with a sizzling tempura coating made with both cayenne and chili peppers, Spicy Chicken McNuggets pack plenty of flavor and spice into each bite," McDonald's shared.
During previous releases, Spicy McNuggets were served with "Mighty Hot Sauce."
"This is both McDonald’s hottest available dipping sauce and our first new sauce since 2017," the company added.
McDonald's does not take making changes to its McNuggets lightly.
"When we introduced Spicy Chicken McNuggets last year, it marked the first-ever McNugget flavor innovation since this iconic menu item was introduced in 1983. But over their 40-year history, we’ve upgraded our beloved Chicken McNuggets several times – from rolling out new dipping sauces like Tangy Barbeque and Honey Mustard to removing all artificial preservatives, colors, and flavors back in 2016," McDonald's explained.
Should Wendy's and KFC Be Worried?
When McDonald's makes a move it gets noticed, but this LTO seems, well, limited. The chain could have made Spicy McNuggets a permanent menu addition, but it has never chosen to do that. This could be for supply chain reasons or it could be to give the company tools in its arsenal to get media attention and reinvigorate its customer base in the short term.
A new McDonald's LTO, especially of a product known to be popular, likely does take some sales from rivals like Wendy's and KFC.
"Offer a Big Mac or a Quarter Pounder to casual McDonald’s customers, and they might shrug. But offer a Shamrock Shake or a McRib, and there’s a good chance they’ll salivate," wrote John Morell for QSR Magazine. "These menu options have become hugely successful at the fast-food giant, despite being offered for only a few weeks out of every year. So why doesn’t McDonald’s add them to the permanent menu? Largely because quick serves have discovered that a good limited-time offer can boost brand excitement and even single-handedly drive sales."
